For this month's Fab Furniture Flippin' Contest, the sponsor is Minted, and the theme is Take a Seat. I had never heard of this company before, so I googled it and found it to be an amazing online shopping extravaganza. Our theme was to reupholster anything to sit on with their fantastic quality fabric. I took my sweet time browsing the gorgeous patterns created by individual artists. I went through all the colors and designs imaging all sorts of projects. The selection is incredible.

I chose a gray on off-white colored pattern of delicate yet intricately designed medallions. When it arrived, I was thrilled with the tones and how vivid and detailed the medallions were especially against the background. The quality is exceptional as well. Now, I am not an upholsterer. I have limited experience, having only redone chair covers and simpler projects, but cutting this piece to size the bench I was recovering has given me a touch of an itch I think I would love to scratch by delving into the magnificent world of slipcovers and such. All in time. First I need to learn to sew on the little machine I bought this past summer. For now, covering this precious antique piano bench would be a worthy goal to achieve.

What I love about benches is their versatility. Use them at desks, vanities or side tables. Place them in a foyer for a coat check area or to sit upon to remove or lace up your shoes. Add one to the end of your bed for a decorative way to slip a seat in there. I will be using this bench to add seating for hosting our holiday dinners this season. The colors were perfect for my dining room, and since my table is smaller, I need a beautiful but efficient way to add seating.

After four layers of nasty old pilly material stretching way back to the original cover, I finally revealed the cushioning. Along the way, I discovered that the first upholsterer of this piece used real upholstery tacks, not staples. And they were very imbedded in the wood. I would not be removing them. Plus I always like a reminder of yesteryear on antique items. I would, however, be using my quick and easy staple gun from 2015 to reattach the new lining and fabric cover.

One of the layers of cushioning I uncovered was at folded towel. Someone improvised a bit with what was on hand. It is these quirky things discovered while working on antique and vintage items that I truly enjoy.

Before I expose the blechy brown and saggy seat this bench was, here is the gorgeous, elegant and classy one it became with the fabric from minted. Be sure to notice how detailed and delicate the pattern from the artist is, but how it makes a sophisticated and prominent presence on the fabric.

​Now the process from dull and droopy to bright and beautiful:

​And here are some cruddy layers being peeled off and there is the towel cushion:

Down to the threadbare tattered original fabric and stuffing. I kept the stuffing for cushioning because it was denser to protect against the tacks which stuck beyond the wood. My foam cushioning just pressed down to feel their points. Nothing like the good ol' stuff sometimes.

I lined it with muslin and then the thick and beautiful fabric. It is a perfect addition to my dining set for those occasions that require room for more. I am excited to set the table with this dressing its side. It is an exact match to my decor in the room but adds a graceful touch of pattern to the simple decor. Just lovely. My dining room has been my work space since the weather turned colder so please excuse the excess furniture lurking along the walls.​

I bought this piece from a photo. No checking it over. No looking for damage/deterioration. Just bought it. I do that sometimes and sometimes it works and sometimes it is agony. So I try not to do it too often, just when I really love a style and figure I can work with it.

This was one of those jump for joy while feeling like throwing up. It was h-u-g-e. Good. It was extremely well constructed. Great. It had no structural issues. Excellent. It was French Provincial. Perfect.

It was filthy. Ok. It was missing knobs. Alright. It had black permanent marker everywhere. Ah well. It had a chunk of the drawer corner gnawed off and clumped with the worst hack job of wood fill I've seen to date. Ugh. The top veneer had a panel missing so would need to be stripped to the wood. Yikes.

I knew this boss hog could become the belle of the ball though, so I was determined to try my hand at all the...hmmm...anomalies.

​Veneer stripping. Let's just say it could be considered a prudent sentence for criminals. I got through the top layer with three large strips. Wawawahoo. But the bottom layer, the one adhered to the wood, the one that lay smugly in wait of my chisel's pursuit, the one that would not relinquish its hold, well that one would be sheer will to defeat. And as the last fragment of it flew off with a smack of the hammer to the scraper, I raised my putty knife and hammer and let out a battle cry of victory. Very Braveheart.

It took me drenching towels and literally pouring cups of water all over them to saturate through to the adhesive. I soaked and poured and chipped for hours. All day, part of the night and all day again. I could lift the veneer up inch by inch and glory be if I got under for two inches and could whittle up a section about the size of a child's fist. I had a fist I wanted to give it. Shift, soak, whittle, smack, scrape, shift, soak. Inch by inch. This dresser is seventy-seven inches long. Mmm, you get it now.

The very last area on this dresser got me all excited thinking I could lift up a whole strip. Then it just stuck and split.

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​Here is the corner after I began mending and reshaping the pig pile of wood fill which would not smash off so I was forced to resort to reconfiguring the glob. Why even bother to hurl some on if you're going to leave it in a garbled heap? I don't understand people's logic at times. It would have looked far better leaving the chewed wood exposed, and saved me some grief.​

After the brunt of the nasty work was done, I was pretty happy. I painted two coats of salmon colored milk paint and clear waxed it. For the top, the uncovered bare wood was a bit too light so I applied one coat of a warm brown stain and then rubbed three coats of hemp oil into it.

I adore this piece. It is stately but homey. It has storage capacity that exceeds what I need but will absolutely wind up filling. I do not typically keep my work, but this precious one resides in our family room as a media console. Everyone watches the t.v. while I gaze at what it sits on.

I still need to find a knob with a three inch screw for the top center drawer, and I need to brush a coat of paint over another drawer which I tested a wash. Then done.

I also removed a drawer to hold the cable box and blue ray player. It is simply lovely. The lighting change is due to different times of the day.

I bought this gorgeous thing a while back and have been savoring refinishing it. Vintage French Provincial is one of my favorite styles. It can stand alone in its elegance or bring a touch of regal beauty to complement other styles. I also think it can be set in a very casual environment and add just the right amount of contrast.

I chose a soft pale gray for a classy neutral color which would slip right in with any decor but still have presence. Of course, I gently distressed its fine curves and edges because I love how that highlights a piece's prettiness. I topcoated with clear wax to finish with a muted sheen. The six spacious drawers boast plenty of storage.Dimensions are 40"W x 20"D x 52"H ​​Here it is in all its sophisticated gray glory:(ignore the bee that came to check it out in the last photo)